The Queens Hospital Center Smoking Cessation Program is designed to help people stop smoking by providing supportive counseling sessions and useful tools such as nicotine patches or gum. The hospital uses an approach that has been proven to help people successfully stop smoking. Groups provide the education, strategies and support needed to leave cigarettes behind permanently. The program is free of charge and is open to everyone 18 years of age and over; counseling is available to minors with parental consent.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What method works best to help people quit?
Research has shown that a combination of medication, such as the nicotine patch or gum, and counseling are the most effective strategies to assist smokers in becoming smoke-free.

Do the patches work?
The patches help to ease the physical cravings and withdrawal symptoms that results from nicotine withdrawal. Quitting smoking involves managing the nicotine withdrawal as well as learning new ways of coping.

Will I gain weight?
Not necessarily. The program teaches clients strategies to assist them in avoiding weight gain.

How long until the nicotine leaves my body?
Generally it takes about seven to ten days for the majority of the nicotine to leave the body if one goes “cold turkey.” If one is using the nicotine patches or gum, the process is slower.

Which is better: the gum or the patch?
This depends on personal preference and the number of cigarettes smoked daily. The program assesses each person individually to determine the appropriate medication and dosage.

Is the patch safe to use with other medications?
Yes, the patch is generally safe for the vast majority of people.